A New Member of the Team?
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: The arrival of Antonio leads to the inevitable question.  Will integrating him into the team strengthen it, or weaken it?
1. Chapter 1

**Legal: **I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T – May be some mild adult themes.

**Timeline: **Taking place across the events of "Room for One More."

**A/N: **Until I see the episode and get a hold of some of the material from it to incorporate into the story, I just thought I'd write this little lead in to the story to amuse myself.

The Rangers were in the training yard of the Shiba House, running through their drills as Mentor Ji watched on. He had decided to let a day go by before addressing the issue of Antonio. Serena had already made a huge announcement the previous day, telling the others that she would not be staying, and so he wanted to give them a little while to decompress from that before he dealt with the possible hornets' nest of introducing a new member to the team.

He watched them all training, and even in one day, he could already see differences in the way things occurred. While every day, like every battle, was different, he normally had a pretty good bead on what level all the Rangers were at and what to expect from them, but today, there was a foreign element introduced into the mix.

Emily was training a lot harder, and was showing a lot more fire than she normally did in her bout with Mia. The recent incident involving her family had put her through quite a bit, and he had seen her go from one extreme to the other. Only a couple of days ago, she was going home to say goodbye to Serena, fully expecting her to pass away, only to be embroiled in an emotional battle against the dreaded Cursed Warrior Dekker when he attacked her family, and as part of that, having fate intervene and return Serena to full health.

Serena's brief return to action had affected Emily's confidence considerably. He didn't mean to demean her efforts, but the facts were that Serena was a stronger Samurai, and it was always meant to be her that took up the mantle of Yellow Ranger. He knew that it would hurt, but she bravely accepted the decision he and her parents had made when they told her that she would be going home. She had even helped out as much as she could, tracking down Antonio while the others dealt with the latest Nighlock. It was fate intervening again that left her in their midst. It seemed that in her time convalescing, Serena had lost a little bit of a step in battle, something that he had expected, but more than that, the Ape Zord no longer responded to her as readily as it should. It had formed a bond with Emily, one that made it unfamiliar and uncomfortable with its former master.

In the end, Serena had made the decision that they couldn't risk the time it would take for her to get back to form and that now Deker possibly considered her and their parents a legitimate target, she would be best served keeping them safe and leaving Emily on the team. He had a feeling that there may have been other elements behind her decision, but he accepted her decision, and he had to admit the effect it had on Emily. It seemed now more than ever she was determined to prove herself and make her sister proud. She was no longer there because there wasn't another option, she was there because Serena chose to surrender her position on the team to her, and by the looks of things, she was determined to make sure the faith and confidence Serena had placed in her was not misplaced.

Mia had been somewhat accepting of Antonio, something that Mentor Ji had sort of expected, given her self-appointed role of den mother to the group, but it seemed to be much more than that. She seemed to identify with him on some level. She had been one of the most vocal about the change in Jayden having his childhood friend back in his life, and she seemed to love seeing the new side to him. The two of them had spent the night preparing them all some of Antonio's stock for the whole house, something that she seemed to benefit from. Not only was it edible, it was actually very good. She had been trying to get past her problems with cooking, and had improved, but it seemed Antonio's guidance had a dramatic effect on the end result.

Mike seemed to get on well with the new arrival, and he too seemed to get renewed interest in training. He had always been self-conscious about the fact he was behind the others in his swordsmanship, but now he seemed to be heartened by the new arrival. While Antonio seemed to have much better technique, and be much more practiced, Mike was no longer the only one with an unorthodox style, or one that raised questions, and yet looking at Antonio, he seemed to take heart that it worked for him. Mentor Ji had to admit being slightly worried that bad habits would rub off on Mike, and had even seen him do some Antonio-esque moves with his bokken that day, but it seemed like the additions helped him get an edge in his session with Kevin, and even allowed him to score a few more points than he normally did.

Kevin seemed to be frustrated by the new arrival, and while he hadn't been rude or inappropriate in his protests, he had made his reservations about Antonio known. Like Mentor Ji, he had concerns that his technique raised questions about his training and his suitability to be a Samurai.

It was a way of life, much more than just learning how to swing a sword, it was about dedication, sacrifice and discipline. They needed to be willing to face impossible odds, to make the hard decisions and give up virtually everything else in their lives, and if need be, to lay down their lives. It was, in some ways, as much a religion as it was combat training, and the others had all been indoctrinated from birth. Kevin could expect any of them to face their responsibility without hesitation, even Mike, who had caused him so much frustration in the time he had known him. Antonio was an unknown though, something they could ill afford.

The thing that concerned Mentor Ji the most however was the effect he was having on Jayden. It wasn't that he wasn't training as hard as he usually did, or that he was taking things less seriously, but he seemed to be a little blinkered when it came to Antonio. Right now, Jayden was sparring with him on another mat a little way from the others. Fortunately among his possessions, Antonio had wooden practice tanto daggers. It was a style that Mentor Ji was aware of, but that he was unfamiliar with having not really practiced it much since his youth, preferring the katana.

He could remember Antonio and Jayden playing together as children, it was heartening to see. Jayden didn't really have many friends, but the two of them had been inseparable at one time. It always made him smile when he watched them playing together, and he was happy to allow it, giving Jayden a welcome distraction from his training and the responsibility that he would one day face. He never even minded when Jayden insisted that Antonio be trained with him because he was getting bullied at school, or even when he had broken protocol by introducing him to the zords. He had been an especially welcome part of Jayden's life following his father's death. Antonio had been there at a time when he needed someone. Mentor Ji had done everything he could, but having someone his own age to talk to had helped Jayden a lot back then. It was a sad turn of events that Antonio's father had accepted a job in another city, requiring him to move away. It had hit Jayden so hard, he hadn't even made a fuss by the time he realised that the Octozord was gone, believing that it would find its way back to them in their time of need.

Although they were both only children when they parted ways, but looking at them now, it was like they never had. Jayden had never had many friends as a result of his duties to his training, so in some ways it was understandable that he had such fond memories of his first true friend, even after so many years apart. However, he was so happy to see Antonio again that Mentor Ji was worried that it would cloud his judgement on the issue of him becoming part of the team.

There were a number of things that concerned him about the new arrival. For one thing, they had no idea exactly how good he was, or the exact extent of his ability. It had been around fifteen years since he had left the Shiba household for the last time, and while it was clear that he had trained in Martial Arts elsewhere in that time, to what level still had to be established. His dedication and commitment were still potentially in question. He hadn't been back in all these years, so he had no idea if Antonio would stick around when things got hard. Finally, the last thing that troubled him, a question he really wanted answered, where exactly had he gotten those powers from?

Jayden and Antonio reached something of an impasse in their bout, Antonio having locked their blades in a stalemate. Jayden just smiled at his long time friend as they parted.

"Alright guys, I think that's enough for just now." Jayden announced. Just then the Lion Zord ran out of the house, chasing the Octozord playfully. Emily just watched the cute display as they circled the Red and Gold Rangers in their game.

"Oh, that is adorable!" She gushed. "They remember each other too."

"It looks like you're not the only one who got an old friend back dude." Mike added. Antonio smiled as he heard them say that. Just like Antonio and Jayden, the two zords had spent some time getting reacquainted, and had spent a lot of time playing with each other all round the household.

"Yeah, Octozord was so excited when I told him we'd be coming home." Antonio commented as it came over and landed on his shoulder.

"I have a question. Why exactly do you call it Octozord?" Kevin asked him. "It only has six legs, it's clearly a squid."

"What can I say; I was six when I named it." Jayden explained with a little smirk. "I didn't know the difference."

"Besides, what else would you have us call it? The Calamari of Doom?" Antonio teased him as he started to make his way off the mats and reached for a towel. Jayden had been reaching for the same towel, and just looked to him, shrugging and handing it to him. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Jayden replied, gesturing to Mentor Ji as he smiled. "Alright guys, remember that Mentor's arranged a meeting for lunchtime, so hit the showers, get changed and take a little time. We'll gather at 1, so your time's your own until then."

"Yeah great." Emily sighed. "By the time I've done my math assignment, it'll be time for lunch. That's really relaxing."

"It's just part of balancing an education with being a Samurai." Mia assured her, putting her arm around her. "Besides, you only have a couple of credits left to get. It won't be long."

"It feels like it." She commented. Kevin looked to the others, placing his bokken back on the rack.

"I think I'll go practice some symbols." He told them as he walked off. Mike just stretched out his shoulders.

"Well I have a date with Halo online." Mike chipped in. "There's some kid from Norway that's online around about now that's been talking a lot of smack. I intend to show him what gaming's all about."

"Good luck." Jayden replied as Mike made his way to the showers. He looked to Antonio who was still mopping himself down with a towel. "I still can't believe you actually kept your promise."

"Hey, I take a promise to my best friend very seriously." Antonio told him. "I think it's the least I can do after you helped me out at kindergarten."

"You were being bullied." Jayden commented with a shrug. "Protecting the innocent is kind of what I was trained to do right?"

"Jayden, Lewis was sitting on me in the sand pit and forcing me to eat sand." He reminded his friend. "I'd had my lunch stolen every day before you came. I have you to thank for preventing my growth being stunted."

"Yeah, but still...we were six." Jayden stated as he put the weapons away. "Fifteen years is a long time. I would have thought you'd have forgotten all about that by now."

"Not with this guy around to remind me." Antonio chuckled, stroking Octozord as he looked back to Jayden. "I know Mentor Ji and the others are a little unsure..."

"We'll discuss it at the meeting." Jayden interrupted him. "This is a pretty important decision Antonio. You saw what happened when the team was thrown out of balance."

"Yeah, your new girlfriend." He teased Jayden. The Red Ranger gave him a dark look.

"She is NOT my girlfriend." He insisted. "Serena's a great Samurai, you saw her in action yourself, but the team as a whole, we need to be sure it'll work. If anything unbalances it..."

"I guess the stakes are pretty high." Antonio commented. "I heard about all the Nighlock attacks on the news. It took me a while, but I came as soon as I could."

"Well I appreciate the offer of help at least." Jayden assured him. "But you know that it isn't just my decision."

"And if it was?" Antonio asked him. Jayden just smirked at him.

"I guess I could use a little more convincing." Jayden replied, throwing him his wooden tanto and snatching up a bokken.

"Oh you want more of this?" Antonio asked him, throwing his sweat towel at him playfully. "Bring it on!"


	2. Making an Impression

Mentor Ji was in the Living Room of the Shiba House, pacing as he awaited the after-lunch meeting he had scheduled for the Rangers to discuss the issue of the newest arrival to the household.

There was still plenty of time until they were all due. Mike was still on the games console, occasionally yelling at the screen and bouncing around in a way that indicated he was indeed "schooling" the kid from Norway he kept going on about. Emily was just proof-reading her latest assignment for the online courses she was taking, something he considered a much better use of time than Mike's noisy and distracting video games. Of course, he would never admit to such, but he only really minded the noisier games like his shoot-em-ups or fighting games, and had often enjoyed the occasional game of Wii tennis or bowling when he was sure none of the Rangers would catch him.

Kevin was in the corner by an easel, practicing some symbols with a paintbrush. He knew that of all the Rangers, Kevin was the one that supported him the most in his assertion that Antonio might be more of a distraction, or even a danger to the team through his inexperience than a help. While he had monitored footage of the battle the other day, and had to admit that Antonio had indeed tipped the balance, but he worried that was as much down to surprise as anything else. Now though, Master Xandred would know that there was "another Ranger" here, and have likely gotten a full analysis of the battle from his tactical advisor Octoroo. If he went out again, then there would be no element of surprise to overcome any weaknesses.

Jayden came in, his hair still damp from the shower. Mentor Ji gestured him over.

"I have not seen Antonio in some time." Mentor Ji told him.

"I have a feeling that may be at least partially my fault." Jayden said with a little smile. "We got a little carried away in practice and lost track of time. He's probably just off somewhere getting ready for the meeting."

Mentor Ji sighed, fearing the worst. He had never doubted Jayden's dedication to his responsibility before, and in many ways he still didn't, but he was worried that Antonio was a distraction he could ill afford. He was always pleased to see Jayden happy. Jayden really didn't have much in his life beyond his destiny as The Red Samurai Ranger, so it was heartening to see any time he did have something that made him happy. It was just unfortunate that his friendship with Antonio may have blinded him to the danger that taking him into battle may place them all in.

"This meeting is important." Mentor Ji reminded him.

"Like I said, he's probably just off getting changed. I only just got out of the shower myself." Jayden pointed out. "Look, I'll go and look for him and make sure he gets here on time."

Mentor Ji just nodded, at which Jayden turned and left The Shiba House. Mentor Ji hated to be the bad guy and tell Jayden his friend couldn't stay if he wasn't convinced that it was in the best interests of the team, but he had to keep in mind that the responsibility of this decision was far greater than just friendship. The responsibility of his decision was to the lives of the other Rangers, their families, and indeed the rest of the world. As much as he wanted Jayden to be happy, on balance, their friendship meant nothing.

Antonio was on a jetty a little way from The Shiba House, looking out over the water. After his long sparring session with Jayden, which admittedly had gone on far TOO long, he had taken a little while to get ready.

He was a little off the wall, and he had a unique way of looking at things, but he wasn't stupid. He had already ascertained that Mentor Ji wasn't really big on the idea of him joining the team. Kevin had been polite, but the way he carried himself around him indicated that he was also pretty cold on the idea.

He didn't really know what to make of Mia. She seemed nice, and he had spent a long time with her the previous night, taking her through the intricacies of making trout stuffed with rosemary, lemon and almonds. She was grateful for his pointers, and had shared with him the fact that her cooking had something of an infamous reputation in the house. From her knife-work, he could tell, but he was only too happy to give her pointers and show her some of his secrets. He had a feeling she was on the fence on the whole deal.

Emily seemed to be his main supporter. She was a lively thing, and he genuinely liked her. She had been nothing but friendly ever since he had arrived, even when he saw she had a whole situation going on with her own morpher. He wasn't really around long enough to get the whole story, but he knew that it was some kind of family thing. He had gotten the gist of things from Jayden's talk with Serena and realised that Emily was her younger sister, and the second choice for the role.

Mike seemed to be on the same wavelength as him. The two of them had connected very quickly after meeting, and they seemed to share a lot of the same sense of humour. He had a feeling he was going to really like Mike, presuming he got to stay on the team of course.

Jayden was the one that really troubled him. He knew that he was happy to see him, and the two had spent a long time catching up. He had a feeling he was impressed by Antonio's skill, and the dedication he had shown in becoming a Ranger essentially all by itself. Hopefully their friendship would mean Jayden would allow him to join the team, but he couldn't discount the influence of Mentor Ji. He knew that Jayden's father had died when they were young, and Mentor Ji had raised him ever since.

He heard the Octozord making a little noise and turned to face it, smiling.

"I guess I lost track of time." He commented, standing up and making his way towards the cart. He was wearing his best suit, a dark suit with gold piping, naturally. He was wearing a white shirt, and had a gold tie on, but right now his top button was undone, and his tie was loose while he was relaxing. He wanted to do everything he could to make a good impression on the others and sway their decision to allow him to fulfil his dream of helping Jayden and becoming a Samurai. He presented himself to the Octozord. "So what do you think?"

"I think you look like an extra from Glee." Jayden teased him as he arrived on the jetty. "Seriously, you look like one of the Dalton Academy Warblers with a gold fetish."

Antonio just laughed hearing this as his childhood friend approached. The Octozord just let out a little sound to indicate it agreed with his assessment of the suit.

"What would you know? You're a squid." Antonio replied as Jayden approached him. The Red Samurai just gestured to the suit. "What's with the get up? I wouldn't have thought a fish vendor would have much use for a suit."

"Even I need to make a good impression sometimes. Do you think I always have great catches?" He asked him. "I've had a few temporary jobs. Just last year I worked for some whacked out pizza guy in Ocean Bluff..."

"Antonio, relax." Jayden chuckled. "I just want to make a good impression."

Antonio did the top button of his shirt, and tightened his tie, before taking a deep breath.

"So, think Mentor Ji will like it?" He asked.

"You're talking about a guy that spends all day in a kimono." Jayden reminded him. He could see Antonio was nervous, and he really wanted him to make a good impression. He could just remember that at times his nerves could get the better of him, and from what he could remember, Antonio could be a little clumsy at the best of times. He buttoned up Antonio's jacket and straightened out his collar and lapels, fixing the line of his suit. "Come on, it's almost time."

"Lead the way mi amigo." He responded, grabbing his fish cart and walking with his friend back towards the Shiba House.

In Master Xandred's junk on the Sanzu River, Octoroo was busy in the hold with several of the archives. Master Xandred had raged for hours after Vulpes' defeat. They were so close to snatching victory before the intervention of this new Gold Ranger. It had taken a lot of medicine to settle him down and finally get him to sleep.

Octoroo also wanted to know who this stranger was. He had been Master Xandred's tactical advisor for centuries, and had seen many generations of Samurai come and go, and yet he had never heard of a Gold Samurai.

Another thing that troubled him was the reports that this new arrival had brought back the Octozord. He hadn't heard of it surfacing in many years, certainly not since the war with the last generation of Samurai in which Master Xandred had been sealed in the Netherworld. He knew of the fates of the others. The Swordfish Zord had been separated from the others at sea, and had spent years swimming the oceans searching for its master to return. The Beetle Zord had lain dormant, waiting for another strong enough to raise it, and the Tiger Zord had been sealed in the Netherworld with them until the Rangers liberated it. The Octozord though, had disappeared from the records following that war. Many had thought that it was possible it had been destroyed, and the Samurai covered up the fact so as not to appear weakened to the few forces that got through, but now, it had been openly seen in battle with this new Ranger.

As he tried to find a possible explanation, another potential problem concerned him. Deker had still not been seen or heard from since the battle on the cliff top with the Yellow Ranger.

The reports he had heard told of how he had fallen from the cliff and been buried under tons of rubble, but with the curse of immortality granted by Urumasa, Octoroo was not willing to simply write him off as gone. Deker had once threatened to take his head, and he would not be satisfied that the threat of the current Cursed Warrior was gone until he had Deker's head presented to him on a plate. He had already taken the opportunity to manoeuvre Master Xandred to the news that Deker was potentially a traitor, and had set them against each other once already. It was only down to his accursed half-human state that he had evaded his fate, and that he could evade them so easily. Deker was an unknown factor, a threat that Octoroo would never be able to tolerate, and more than that, he had threatened his life. He was determined to see Deker destroyed.

A Mooger came in; making the babbling noises that only Nighlocks could understand.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?" Octoroo demanded angrily. "I have important work to do for Master Xandred. If I don't find..."

The Mooger babbled a little more, interrupting Octoroo, but rather than being offended, he actually relented. He was not so jaded as Dayu that he would dismiss those of lower station without hearing what they had to say, nor was he so ruled by rage as Xandred that he would simply destroy it for its insolence at interrupting him. First and foremost, he was a tactical advisor, and appreciated the value of information. Before dismissing it as meaningless, he would at least hear it. This time though, this lowly creature had turned up something interesting.

"Are you sure?" Octoroo asked. "Keep this to yourself for now. I need to do more research."

The creature babbled a little more, at which Octoroo just picked up his staff, blasting it into oblivion. It had information, but until he could verify it himself, there was no point in disturbing Master Xandred with it. The consequences could be dire if he made a mistake in this matter. Dayu came in, seeing the scorch marks and smelling the burnt remains of the unfortunate creature and just sighed.

"This'll stink up the place for a while." She breathed dismissively, before looking to Octoroo. "It's not like you to destroy an underling."

"I'm amazed you can see anything of what I do." He replied coldly. She wasn't satisfied by his answer, but then she rarely was with Octoroo. He was a tactically minded being, always thinking of something, scheming and plotting. It wasn't like she wasn't herself, but she hated the fact that she seemed to have little idea what truly went on in his mind.

"It's not like you to have a direct hand in anything." She commented. "You generally have someone else do your dirty work."

"Times change Dayu." He replied snarkily. "You should appreciate that."

"Then what could a simple mooger have done to deserve such a fate?" She asked him.

"It is none of your concern Dayu." He told her, waving her off. "Now go wait by Master Xandred's bed. He should be awake soon, and unless you want us all to sink, just...play your shamizan like you always do."

She pulled out a throwing dagger, preparing to throw it at Octoroo in anger for his dismissive attitude, but thought better of it and just left, seething in anger. His dismissive attitude aside, she had to concede that for the time being at least, he was useful.

Back at The Shiba House, Jayden arrived in the Living Room, finding the team all assembled around the table. It was only then that he looked to his watch and realised that he was late. That also meant, crucially, that Antonio was late. It was not a great first impression.

"Sorry." Jayden told them. "Antonio's just outside; he just uh...needed a minute."

"He needed a minute for what?" Kevin asked as Jayden took his seat.

"To prepare." Jayden replied. Just then, Antonio came sliding into the room in a move somewhat reminiscent of Fred Astaire in a classical musical, carrying a fishing rod over his shoulder. Jayden had a bad feeling about this; he had obviously opted for one of his "big entrances". He couldn't help smiling as he saw it though; it was kind of funny to see. Looking around, he saw that Mia, Emily and Mike were also smiling. Kevin and Mentor Ji though looked somewhat less impressed. He started swinging around the fishing rod in wide arcs in a kind of sword kata.

Jayden cast another look around the crew. He could see that Mentor Ji had all but switched off, seeming to find the flamboyance and showmanship somewhat inappropriate. Kevin seemed to be similarly unimpressed with the demonstration, but he could see a slightly more analytical look in him, like he was actually appraising his technique.

Mia, Mike and Emily seemed to appreciate it for what it was. The guy was just trying to make an impact and show them he could help. He finally shouldered the fishing rod, standing to attention before them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the new Sixth Ranger, the Gold Ranger, Antonio Garcia." He announced regally, giving a short bow. Unfortunately though, in all the swinging around, he hadn't noticed that the hook had come loose, and hooked into the seat of his pants. He pulled, and with a loud rip, it tore the seat of his pants. Although sympathetic as he saw the look of panic on Antonio's face, Jayden had to try hard to suppress a snigger.

He looked around, seeing that the look was pretty common among the team. Mike and Emily were almost ready to burst out laughing. Mia had a smirk that she was hiding, but she seemed not far behind them. Kevin just rolled his eyes, and stroked the side of his head, while Mentor Ji just watched. In panic, Antonio could only keep pulling.

"Sorry, um..." He muttered as he continued to pull, seemingly not knowing what else to do in this embarrassing situation, unfortunately only succeeding in making the situation, and the tear in his pants worse. "This happens all the time."

"He suddenly realised what he had said. He didn't want to seem like a clumsy idiot when Mentor Ji was already hesitant about him.

"Not too often though." He clarified, continuing to pull. By now, Emily, Mike and Mia were all laughing, and Kevin was hiding his face, no longer able to watch. Even Mentor Ji had a look on his face that suggested he was trying to remain stoic and serious, but the subtle biting of his lip showed he was close to losing it too. Jayden just sighed and buried his face in his hands, shaking his head weakly.

"Would you guys help him please?" He muttered weakly. Antonio's love of big entrances and massive first impressions had not worked out as he wanted on this occasion. He felt sorry for his childhood friend. He was trying to impress them, unfortunately, as he could remember from when they were children, as usual he was trying just a little too hard.


	3. Unexpected Advice

Jayden had stepped outside for a moment while Mia took Antonio into a side room to help him with his "wardrobe malfunction." He didn't mean to laugh, he really was happy to see his friend again, but as always, he was trying too hard, and misfortune caught up with him as it regularly did. Mentor Ji came out with Kevin and Emily, finding him sitting on a bench out in the yard.

"Mia said she'd see what she can do to repair Antonio's pants." Emily said in a little snigger. While some time had passed, it was still pretty funny all things considered.

"He hasn't changed a bit." Jayden said, reminiscing about when they were kids.

"You were obviously great friends." She answered. "He really looks up to you."

"We were friends from the moment we met." Jayden told them. "It used to drive Mentor crazy when he kept coming over and interrupting practice. I lost count of the number of times he chased him off."

"I agreed to teach him some Martial Arts to help him with his bullying problem." Mentor informed them. "Unfortunately it wasn't enough for both of them."

"I told Antonio all about the whole Samurai thing." Jayden continued the story. "Ever since that, he was hooked. His dream was to become a Samurai and help me out in the battle against the Nighlocks. He wasn't born into one of the Samurai families, but he was my friend, I wanted him to be part of it so badly."

"So badly you gave him a zord?" Kevin asked him. Jayden just smiled.

"What can I say? I was six." Jayden explained. "My best friend was leaving, so I wanted to give him a going away present."

"So you gave him a zord?" Emily asked, a little shocked to hear this.

"Without my consent I may add." Mentor Ji added. "He threatened to quit training if I tried to get it back."

"I was six." Jayden reiterated. "And I was a Samurai. What else did I have to give him?"

"So if Mentor Ji were the president would you have given Antonio the nuclear launch codes?" Kevin asked. "It's just as dangerous."

"I was six!" Jayden put down again. "Sure, I know it wasn't a great idea, but...we got it back when we needed it right?"

Emily put an arm around him and smiled. Despite the embarrassing entrance, and the fact that Mentor Ji and Kevin were getting on Jayden's case about the whole zord situation, she could see that he was clearly still happy to see his best friend back.

"I still can't believe he's kept his promise all this time." Jayden told them, looking to Kevin and Mentor Ji. "You both saw what he can do. He's clearly trained hard..."

"He hasn't trained properly." Kevin reminded him. "Anyone can take a few karate lessons..."

"To be fair, it looks like he's done a bit more than that." Emily chipped in. "He might have trained differently, but surely he's proven he's good."

"That may well be, but several questions still have to be answered." Mentor Ji answered, pulling out Antonio's morpher. "We still don't know how he came by this morpher, or what power it holds. It may not be enough, or it could be dangerously powerful, in which case we need to ensure it is harnessed, or..."

"Or put away so it can't harm anyone." Emily sighed. "It's just...this war is already so hard, I guess I would like an extra pair of hands around the place."

"Mia said she's done her best with Antonio's pants." Mike announced as he came out. "We're ready to continue."

As they got up, Mentor Ji just put a hand on Jayden's chest to hold him back for a moment.

"Just remember, even though he is a friend, and you wish him by your side, just remember the dangers we face." Mentor Ji reminded him. "Would you want him to risk his life for you?"

With that, he gestured Jayden inside to continue the meeting.

On Master Xandred's junk on the Sanzu River, he had finally awakened, and as usual, he was in a thoroughly foul mood as a result of his pain. His mood was not helped in the slightest by the irritating furry worts dangling from the ceiling, chattering away inanely.

"You spend all your time researching and yet we are still no closer to our goals!" He roared. "I want answers Octoroo!"

Octoroo quaked in fear at his master's bellowing roar.

"I have no more news on Deker." He squealed. "He's vanished..."

"The seal?" Master Xandred asked him.

"We've been researching and spying on the Red Ranger non-stop, and we still know nothing about it." Octoroo told him, fearing his wrath. Xandred just made his way to a mat, sitting down and drinking some medicine.

"What of this sixth Ranger?" He asked. "Do you at least know something about him?"

He didn't. The Gold Ranger was still an unknown element in the whole affair. There was absolutely nothing about him in the archives. There were only five noble families. Mercifully, a Nighlock came spinning into the room, destroying the furry warts in a storm of blades before coming to rest on the ceiling.

"Sire, I humbly come to make a request." He announced. "The Rangers destroyed my friend Vulpes."

"You want revenge?" Master Xandred asked him.

"If it so pleases you my lord, I would be honoured for the opportunity to avenge Vulpes." He replied. Master Xandred just waved him off.

"You may go." He replied.

"Thank you my lord." The Nighlock replied, before leaping out of the window into the river.

Back at the Shiba House, Antonio was sitting on a stool, waiting for the others. Unfortunately the way the hook had torn the trousers, it couldn't really be repaired. It hadn't separated a seam; it had torn the cloth, meaning the trousers would have to be replaced. Mia had just stitched up the hole so that Antonio would be able to walk to wherever he was staying without his ass hanging out for all to see. Everyone sat around the table, at which Mentor Ji took a breath, preparing to begin.

"Antonio, clearly you have trained." He began.

"I mostly trained myself." He admitted, figuring that they were trying to ascertain how good he was. "That being said, I did seek training wherever I could find it. Dad was happy for me to do stuff to keep me out of trouble, so he let me go to gyms and dojos anywhere we went. I learned from anyone I could. I've got black belts in karate, judo, jui jitsu..."

"One of my favourites." Mike said with a smile, before getting a disapproving look from Mentor Ji. "Sorry. You were saying Antonio?"

"The tanto, I just kept practicing what I had seen as a kid. I got so far, but just when I thought I couldn't learn any more by myself, I found an old cell phone someone had lost, and I noticed that Octozord responded to it when I pressed the buttons. Eventually, I realised that I could communicate with him through texting. That was when he revealed he could teach me how to access the power of light, and everything fell into place."

"Octozord taught you?" Mentor Ji asked him, pulling out the morpher. "With this?"

"Yeah." He replied proudly.

"What I don't get is how come it's a morpher?" Mike asked him. "How did you come by those awesome powers?"

They all looked at Antonio intently. It was one of the main questions they wanted an answer to. He shifted a little in his seat.

"I've always been good with gadgets." He told them. "But I met this one..."

Just then, the Gap Sensor sounded. The Rangers all looked to Mentor Ji as he pulled up the map, finding out where the attack was.

"Go!" He announced. Antonio just held up his hands.

"Let me go with you." He stated. "I can help!"

The others all looked to Mentor Ji, waiting for his judgement. He just shook his head.

"I'm sorry Antonio, but it's impossible." He answered. "It's simply too dangerous to send you out there without the formal training."

He stood up, looking a little stunned.

"But...all I've ever dreamed of is being a Samurai!" He told him. He looked to Jayden pleadingly. "Jayden, tell him how you made me a Samurai."

Jayden found himself unable to look his friend in the eye. He had worked hard, that much was clear. He had to have sacrificed so much for fifteen years in order to come to the Shiba House not only willing, to be a Ranger, but to even have somehow created his own powers. However, Mentor Ji had a point. This was dangerous, and while they were fortunate that Vulpes had been caught off-guard by Antonio's arrival, there was no guarantee the next one wouldn't be ready for him.

"I'm sorry Antonio, but Ji's right." Jayden sighed. "This isn't little kids' stuff anymore."

As they ran out, the others couldn't help feeling sorry for Antonio. His best friend, the one he had sacrificed years of his life to honour a promise to, had just crushed his dream. Antonio looked to Mentor Ji.

"The Octozord was not Jayden's to give away and we may need it." He continued, before putting away Antonio's morpher. "And I'm keeping this."

Antonio just shook his head and held out a hand to Mentor Ji.

"You have no right." He replied. "The Octozord isn't mine. It sucks, but that much is true. The morpher is mine though. I want it back."

"Antonio..."

"I found that phone. I made the morpher, it's my property!" He insisted. "You have no right to keep it."

Mentor Ji was reluctant, but he couldn't deny what Antonio had said. Strictly speaking, the morpher was Antonio's property, and as such he had no right to withhold it. He threw it back to Antonio.

"I am sorry about this." He replied. "You understand."

"Sure." He sighed, putting the morpher away as he left.

In another part of town, the Rangers arrived to find the Nighlock terrorising an unfortunate civilian.

"Let him go!" Jayden called out.

"Ah, I thought causing a little trouble would draw you out." The Nighlock responded, before rushing towards them, his swords at the ready.

Antonio meanwhile was back at the jetty, dangling a fishing line lazily in the water. It was lonely without the Octozord by his side.

He had dedicated so much time, so much effort to becoming as good as he possibly could, all to fulfil a promise he had made as a child. He had longed to be a samurai ever since Jayden had first told him the truth about who he was and his legacy. It was his one driving force throughout his whole life. While other kids dreamed of being rock stars or playing in the NFL, he was dreaming of the day he would fight by Jayden's side as one of his Rangers.

Now though, his dreams lay in ruins. Mentor Ji had heard his pitch, and yet he still refused to allow him to join the team. He had sacrificed almost his whole life for nothing.

"I can't believe I wasted all that time." He muttered in a self-pitying manner. "I worked so hard for this."

"You give up too easily." He heard a voice from behind him say. He turned his head only to see a dark-haired stranger in white robes behind him. Jayden had told him about Deker when they were catching up. As he reached for his morpher, Deker just gestured to the roll that concealed Urumasa. "I wouldn't recommend that."

"What do you want?" Antonio asked him. Deker made his way around beside him and sat down next to him on the jetty. As he lowered himself, Antonio could see a look of pain on his face. He had a few visible cuts and bruises still, and it was clear he was hurting.

"Do not worry; I have no intention of harming you." Deker assured him. "I saw your battle with Vulpes. It was impressive."

"Thanks." Antonio replied.

"I also know that you are not at the battle the Rangers are having right now." Deker told him. "I would like to know why."

"I'm not a samurai." He sighed. "It's not my war."

"What do you mean you aren't a Samurai?" Deker asked in response.

"My family isn't a samurai family." He clarified. "I wasn't born into it like the others."

"Do you think that makes a difference?" Deker asked him. "Tell me, do you know what the samurai were?"

"They were nobles." He answered. Deker nodded.

"How do you suppose they became nobles?" Deker asked him. "Do you think that the families just appeared as 'nobles'?"

"What do you mean by that?" Antonio asked him.

"Every family was a peasant family at some point." Deker explained. "Nobles owned land."

"I barely own this cart." Antonio said, pointing to the cart behind him.

"They didn't ask for their lands or their titles." Deker continued. "At some point, either they took their land by force, or they were awarded their titles and lands as military honours. Either way, they did not become samurai by asking for it."

He turned to the Gold Ranger.

"They demanded it, and then they took it." He pressed on. "If you want to be a samurai, you must do the same. Words only go so far."

With that, he got up slowly, hissing in pain. Antonio got up as Deker started to walk away.

"Why did you tell me this?" He asked. Deker stopped and looked to him.

"You know what I want with your friend." Deker replied. "If his team is stronger, it preserves his strength. It will make our eventual dual all the more satisfying."

"So...we're not gonna fight or anything?" Antonio asked. He just shook his head.

"Not today at least." Deker assured him. "I still have some healing to do."

As he was about to leave though, he paused.

"Which reminds me, next time you see that pretty Yellow Ranger, give her a message from me." Deker stated. "Tell her, she impressed me."

With that, he walked away. Antonio felt a little strange about the whole encounter, this was a man that wanted to kill his best friend, but he hadn't made any moves, so he couldn't justify attacking him. He did, however, make a point. He had asked to be brought onto the team. Clenching his fist intently, he grabbed his fish cart and started to head towards the Shiba House with a purpose. This time, it would not be Mentor Ji's choice. He would show them he should be a samurai.

Meanwhile, back at the battle site, things were not going well. Four of the Rangers were already down as a result of the Nighlock's surprising blade attacks, and Jayden was being beaten back.

"Full body blade!" It called out as several blades erupted from its body. Jayden guarded as well as he could, backed up to a pillar with nowhere to go. The blades slammed all around him, pinning him in place. It was then that good fortune smiled on them. He watched as the blades recoiled.

"Uh oh, lucky for you I'm drying out." He announced. "I'll be back."

As he disappeared, the others got up and made their way over to Jayden.

"Man, that was brutal." Mike commented. "That Nighlock had some moves."

"What are we meant to do if he comes back?" Kevin asked.

"Hope when he gets to the Sanzu River he rusts?" Emily suggested.

"We need a new strategy." Jayden told them. Mia stepped forward.

"Maybe the best new strategy is a new Ranger." She suggested. Jayden just nodded.

"Maybe you're right Mia." He replied. "Maybe you're right."


	4. A New Teammate, A New Problem?

Mia, Kevin and Jayden had all returned to the Shiba House while Emily and Mike went looking for Antonio. He had disappeared ever since the meeting, and thinking about it, no one could really blame him. He had basically been told to leave, his dreams of joining the Samurai in ruins.

Jayden was standing on the training mats, a shinai in his hand, just staring into space. He couldn't help thinking about Antonio, and all the time they had spent together as kids. He couldn't stop thinking about him pleading with Jayden, begging him to let him go with them.

"It must have been really hard sending him away." Mia commented as she arrived. He just sighed as he heard her. He knew she was concerned about him. Hell, Mia was always concerned about all of them. She was the mommy of the group. Everyone loved her for it, but the fact was she always took it as her personal responsibility to get involved in their business whenever she felt she needed to make them feel better.

"I know he's worked hard." Jayden responded. "I'm just not sure if this is a good idea."

"You know that good things rarely happen when you keep second-guessing yourself." She replied. "This is just like when you ran away that time."

"Don't." Jayden put down flatly. She picked up a shinai and joined him, adopting a guard. Jayden prepared to face her in a sparring bout. She led off with the first swing.

"It's hard for you putting us in danger, but we've always known what we were being prepared for." Mia told him. "But Antonio? Your childhood friend? That's too much for you isn't it?"

She caught him hard across the knee, forcing him down and levelled the tip of her shinai at his face.

"I'm right aren't I?" She asked him. Jayden didn't want to admit it, but she was. Mia was not on his level with a sword, and under normal circumstances, he should have been able to beat her, but it was like something came over her whenever she truly believed in something she was fighting for and she gained a whole new level of strength. He just batted the shinai aside.

"Think what you like." He muttered. Mia brought it down over his head, causing him to yelp in pain and drop his weapon, reaching up. "Mia!"

"You can't fool me Jayden, don't try." She told him. "All you're doing..."

"Is disrespecting me." Antonio interrupted as he arrived back at the Shiba House. Emily and Mike weren't far behind him, having caught up with him as he was making his way back. "Do you really think I believe that this is the same as hitting those trees with wooden swords like we did? Do you honestly think I don't know what the dangers are?"

"How can you Antonio?" Jayden asked him. "We risk our lives every day."

"And I'm more than willing to do that." He replied.

"Yeah, come on Jayden." Kevin said as he arrived. "He may not be a proper Samurai, but at least this once, he can help us."

"Thanks." Antonio said, before he realised what Kevin had said. "Hey wait a minute. I've trained myself quite..."

Mia silenced him with a light tap of the shinai to his ribs, before looking to Jayden.

"He knows the dangers, we all do." Mia added. "You're not responsible for the decisions we make or the dangers we're prepared to face."

"Well said pretty lady." Antonio said with a smile. Mia just grinned at the compliment, though a few feet away, Kevin looked somewhat less than impressed with what he had said. Antonio approached Jayden. As he was about to speak, the Gap Sensor sounded and Mentor Ji rushed out.

"The Nighlock is back." He told them. Antonio just smirked.

"I'm going with you if you want me or not, but I'd prefer to have your blessing." He stated. Jayden just smiled.

"You haven't changed a bit." Jayden replied. "You keep coming back no matter how much you're driven off."

"I always will mi amigo." He replied.

"Well I guess I don't have much of a choice then." Jayden replied, shaking his hand. "Welcome to the team."

"Uh guys, as touching as all this is, aren't we forgetting something?" Mike asked, pointing to the flashing Gap Sensor. "This is where we go save the world remember?"

"Well if you're going to do that, then you'll need this." Mentor Ji replied as Octozord flew out, circling Antonio. "It seems he's become quite attached to you."

"Come on guys." Emily chirped cheerfully, bouncing with glee about the new addition to the team. "The Nighlock's waiting!"

A little while later, the Rangers all arrived, finding the Nighlock and several moogers waiting for them. He saw them coming and levelled a sword their way.

"Back for more are you?" He asked. "Well this time, I'm well hydrated, and ready for action."

"Well this time we have a secret weapon." Jayden announced. He looked around, seeing Antonio pacing back and forward, looking for somewhere in the formation to stand.

"Um...could you guys all move down?" He asked. "Just a little bit?"

They all took a step to the side, allowing Antonio to join them.

"Ready guys?" Jayden asked them, pulling out his Samuraizer.

"Go go Samurai!" They all called out, morphing. Antonio pulled out his own morpher, smiling as he was about to get his opportunity to shine at last.

"Gold Power!" He called out. As he felt the power coursing through him, the others rushed into battle. Antonio took a moment to let it all sink in.

"At last, my moment has arrived!" He declared. "Now I'm a true Samurai!"

"Yeah, that's nice and all." Kevin said sarcastically as he smashed down a mooger. "Now, if it isn't too much trouble, would you mind actually fighting?"

"Oh, right." He replied, rushing into battle.

Later in the day, back in the Shiba House, the Rangers were taking the opportunity offered by a warm day, and had cracked out the barbecue to celebrate not only the victory, but the addition of a new member to the team. Antonio was by the grill with Mia, showing her some more of his recipes as he made dinner for his new team mates. From a little way off, sitting on the porch, Jayden smiled seeing him integrating with the others.

"Antonio did well today." Mentor Ji commented. Jayden just nodded in response.

"He really brought it when the chips were down." Jayden agreed. "He's definitely been working hard."

"He also seems to have the others' support." Mentor Ji told him, noting the way they all acted around him. Emily couldn't stop smiling around him as he always had a joke or something else to say, and the two of them were quite similar in many ways. Mike also seemed to relate well to him, something that was slightly worrying given the friction Mike occasionally still caused around the house. Mia was grinning broadly as Antonio showed her his cooking, teaching her what he knew. She wrapped an arm around him, laughing loudly and proudly showing off what he had helped her create. His eyes rested eventually on Kevin, who was incredibly quiet, and was giving Antonio some very dark looks. "Well, most of them at least."

"Remember it took Kevin a long time to warm to Mike." Jayden reminded him. "Besides, we know if nothing else, his sense of duty will mean he'll do as I say, and if I say Antonio's on the team..."

"He might not like it." Mentor Ji interrupted him. "But he'll live with it."

"Hey guys, dinner's ready!" Antonio called over.

"Yeah, come and get some before I wolf it all down." Mike mumbled through a mouthful. Jayden made his way over.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Mentor Ji stated. As they arrived, Antonio handed a plate to Jayden.

"You did great today Antonio." He told him. "You're worth your weight in gold."

"So what does this mean?" Emily asked. "Is he...you know...one of us?"

"All the other generations of Samurai only had five Rangers, and Master Xandred's still around." Jayden stated. "Maybe it is time for a change."

"Not to mention that Octo Spear Megazord was off the hook!" Mike said excitedly, fist-bumping with Antonio. "He's got my vote."

"And mine." Mia stated.

"Me too." Emily stated. They all looked to Kevin, who realised that despite his own feelings on the subject, he was already outvoted on the matter. Not to mention the fact that Jayden had already made it clear where he stood when it came to Antonio.

"Just don't screw up and we'll be golden." Kevin stated.

"Then there's only one more question." Mike commented. "Where does he sleep?"

"I've already set up a bed in my room." Jayden said with a smile. "It'll be just like when we had sleepovers as kids."

"Excelliente!" Antonio announced. "That place I've been staying is a real dive. Are you sure?"

"Hey, if you're going to be a Samurai, then you need to start living like one." Jayden replied.

"A Samurai?" Antonio asked him. Jayden nodded.

"As head of the Shiba Clan, strictly speaking I'm a Shogun." He confirmed. "That means that I have the right to grant a title as a military honour."

He stood up, putting a hand on Antonio's shoulder.

"Antonio Garcia, from this day forth, you are a Samurai." He told him. Antonio just started laughing, jumping around with glee as he heard this. The others rushed in for a group hug, but after a few minutes, Mia looked up, realising that someone was missing.

"Where's Kevin?" Emily asked. They all looked around, realising the Blue Ranger was gone. Antonio sighed.

"He really doesn't like me does he?" He asked.

"He'll get over it." Mike assured him, taking Kevin's plate and emptying it onto his own. "Now I don't know about any of you, but personally I'm starving."

They all returned to the table, continuing with the meal, reasoning that right now, it was probably best to leave Kevin to his own devices and calm down on his own. Antonio just went back to his meal, and continued to be part of the company, but in a way he still felt badly about the situation with Kevin. He knew that his personality was unique, and had been described as marmite. People either loved him, finding him funny, charming and lively, or they hated him, quickly becoming irritated by him. Obviously Kevin fell into the latter camp. What didn't help matters was the fact that he really didn't have a choice in Antonio joining them, he had essentially been ordered to deal with it by his shogun, Jayden, and out voted by his friends. It had to sting a little to feel like he was being ganged up on.

As Jayden handed him a beer, tapping a bottle to his in a toast, Antonio couldn't help feeling conflicted. He had fulfilled his promise to his friend to come back and help him. He had fulfilled his dream to become a Samurai, but in the process, it was possible he had caused a problem for the team. He just hoped that Kevin would be able to accept him in time.

Fin.


End file.
